ALGIERS: An Algerian court issued heavy prison sentences Wednesday to a powerful former police chief and his family for illicit gains and misappropriation of land, local media reported. Abdelaghani Hamel, a former national security director-general, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being detained since last July. Prosecutors had demanded a 20-year sentence. His four children received sentences ranging from seven to ten years, while his wife Lanani Salima was sentenced to two years in prison. Hamel, the principal defendant, denied the accusations against him. The trial revealed that Hamel and his family had amassed an immense fortune and illegally acquired numerous homes and properties across Algeria. The prosecutor sought the confiscation of the family´s wealth.
